Eddie Van Halen’s Iconic 1982 Guitar to be Auctioned by Sotheby’s

Eddie Van Halen’s custom-built 1982 Kramer electric guitar, a piece deeply embedded in rock history, will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s New York.

Expected to sell for between $2 and $3 million, the instrument’s value lies not only in its rarity but in its direct link to key moments in Van Halen’s career.

The design was based on Eddie’s original Frankenstrat, though this model was given its own identity at Kramer’s New Jersey factory, where the guitarist personally made adjustments. Photos from the time show him working on the guitar himself, drill in hand. The instrument debuted live during the Hide Your Sheep Tour in 1982 and later became one of the most recognisable instruments in Van Halen’s arsenal.

The guitar also holds a place in Kramer’s advertising history, appearing in one of the brand’s most famous print campaigns with the bold claim that it was “very simply the best guitar you can buy today.” It went on to feature in the Hot for Teacher music video, the guitar from which sold in 2023 for nearly $4 million.

This particular model later passed into the hands of Eddie’s long-time guitar technician Robin “Rudy” Leiren, gifted with a handwritten note from Eddie marking their decade-long working relationship. Leiren eventually sold it to Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, who used it during the recording of the band’s Dr. Feelgood album. The sale of this particular guitar will include a letter of authenticity from Mars, calling it a “great piece of history.”

Sotheby’s describes the guitar as a link between “two giants of heavy metal” and highlights its custom build and performance legacy as reasons it qualifies as a “true grail.”

Eddie Van Halen passed away in 2020 after a long battle with cancer. Across 12 studio albums and decades of touring, Van Halen became one of the most influential rock bands of all time, with Eddie’s guitar work reshaping the possibilities of the instrument. This sale will mark the first time this particular guitar has been offered to the public, cementing its place as one of the most significant pieces of Van Halen memorabilia to date.